Beverage vending machines and cupdrop mechanism therefor



Nov. 18, 1958 G. c. BELL 2,860,817

BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES AND CUP-DROP MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Oct. ll, 1954 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Gauge 6. flail Nov. 18, 1958 G, c, BELL 2,860,817

BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES AND CUP-DROP MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed 00%. 11, 1954 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nov. 18, 1958 G. c. BELL 2,860,817

BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES AND CUP-DROP MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Oct. 11, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q INVENTOR Geage 6,5811

Nov. 18, 1958 c, BELL 2,860,817

BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES AND CUP-DROP MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Oct. 11, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES AND CUP- DROP MECHANISM THEREFOR George C. Bell, Aurora, 111., assignor to Stoner Mfg. Corp., Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 11, 1954, Serial No. 461,529

Claims. (Cl. 221-11) The invention relates generally to improvements in beverage mixing and vending machines and is particularly concerned with the novel structure and operation of a mechanism adapted to dispense a cup or like container and locate it in position to receive the beverage just prior to actual vending of said beverage.

Beverage vending machines frequently contain a supply of cups or like containers, one of which is dispensed, during machine operation, in advance of the discharge of the beverage so as to be positioned to receive the beverage therein. Some known devices used for this purpose include a turret containing a plurality of stacks of cups and means'to index the turret so as to successively locate a stack of cups in register with a cup-dispensing mechanism. This indexing occurs when astack in register with said cup-dispensing mechanism reaches a predetermined low. Such known devices, however, incorporate expensive and mechanically and electrically complex means, in addition to the operating means provided for the beverage vending mechanism, to efiect this indexing and, further, add considerably to the weight of the machine. The present structure overcomes these disadvantages by the incorporation of a very simple inexpensive cup-indexing and vending mechanism which is positive in its operation, is easy to service and to maintain, and is operatively connected to the drive means for actuating the beverage mixing and vending mechanism. The present mechanism is made up for the most part of sheet metal stampings and includes but a minimum of electrical devices for its control and operation. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a beverage vending machine with such a mechanism.

Another object is to provide a novelly constructed turret and associated mechanism for successively advancing the turret step-by-step to insure that there is a supply of cups aligned with the cup-vending mechanism at all times.

Another object of the invention is to mount the cup supply and vending mechanism in such manner that it may be partially or wholly withdrawn from the vending machine cabinet for repair or servicing.

Another object is to provide a novel turret feed for a cup-vending mechanism with a novel linkage operatively connecting the turret with a power source so as to impart step-by-step rotation of the turret when said linkage is conditioned to so function and to remain ineffective when not so conditioned.

Another object is to provide novel means, jointly controlled by a driven cam and by the absence of a cup in a depleted stack of cups in a rotatable indexing turret, for advancing the turret a distance sufficient to locate another stack of cups in position 'to be vended upon repeated operation of the apparatus containing said turret.

Another objectis to provide novelly constructed turrettype racks to contain a plurality of stacks of articles to be vended successively from successive stacks.

Another object is to provide novel means for guiding and feeding a vended cup into position to receive beverage vended by the apparatus containing the vending mechanism.

Another object is to provide a novel adjustable cup stop.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection upper portion of a beverage mixing and vending machine embodying the features of the present invention, showing the cabinet, within which the mechanism is enclosed, and some of the mechanism, in section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 but showing the cup-drop mechanism in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the turret, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 4, but showing the parts in various other positions assumed during machine operation.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the turret.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cup-drop mechanism, partially broken away to illustrate its construction.

The beverage vending machine of the kind disclosed in the accompanying drawings and embodying the features of the present invention, is enclosed within a cabinet 11 having a horizontal partition 12 dividing said cabinet into an upper compartment 13 and a lower compartment 14. The cabinet includes a removable or hinged cover 15 and the front wall thereof, best illustrated in Fig. 4, consti- Referring particularly to Fig. l, the lower compartment 14 contains a mixing and vending chamber generally indicated at 17 which includes a cylindrical stepped shell-like member 18 within which is mounted a mixing bowl (not shown). The mixing and vending chamber 17 includes a floor plate 19 upon which is seated a cup 21 positioned to receive a beverage discharged from the bowl, during a vending operation, through a trough 22. An opening is provided in the door 16 in alignment with the mixing and vending chamber to afford customer access to the cup of beverage. The chamber structure will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Located within the upper compartment 13 is a plurality of dry ingredient containers 23. In the present disclosure only two such containers are illustrated although in actual Patented Nov. 18, 1958 practice at least three such containers are provided, one to contain sugar, another to contain powdered coffee, and the third to contain dehydrated cream in finely powdered form. Means is provided, to be described presently, for discharging a measured quantity of one or all of the aforesaid ingredients from the respective dry ingredient containers 23, during machine operation. The discharged ingredient or ingredients falls through a fiangedopening 24 in the horizontal partition 12 into the mixing bowl enclosed within the cylindrical shell-like member 18. At the same time hot water is delivered from any suitable source through a line 25 into the mixing bowl. The dry ingredients and water are thoroughly mixed 'in the bowl and the resulting beverage subsequently flows by gravity out of the mixing bowl, into the trough 22 and is delivered into the cup 21.

Also mounted within the upper compartment 13 is an indexing turret, generally indicated at 26, containing a plurality of upright columns 27, each of which contains a stack of cups 21. The indexing turret 26 has mounted immediately beneath it, a cup-drop mechanism 28, best illustrated in Fig. 7, which is operated in conjunction with operation of the dry ingredient discharge means and the flow of hot water to the mixing bowl so that each time the machine is conditioned to mix and vend a measured quantity of beverage, one cup is discharged from the cup-drop 28 from where it falls into a chute 29 that delivers it into the beverage receiving position illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now specifically to the indexing turret structure 26 and its mounting, said turret structure and the cup-drop mechanism 28 are carried upon a horizontal floor plate 31 substantially rectangular in shape. Said floor plate has its longitudinal margins turned upwardly to define longitudinal vertical flanges 32 which constitute support means for guide rollers 33. The rollers 33 are guided in channels 34 firmly secured to the top surface of the cabinet partition 12. As a consequence, the entire cup-drop-turret assembly may be wholly or partially withdrawn, as a unit, from the cabinet 11 when the door 16 of said cabinet is open. This greatly facilitates the filling of the columns 27 and, further, affords ready access to any of the mechanism carried on said'fioor plate, should such mechanism require replacement, adjustment, or repair. The cup-drop mechanism 28, best shown in Fig. 7, is seated directly upon the floor plate 31 and preferably is secured thereto as by means of a plurality of screws 35 (Fig. 3). This cup-drop mechanism is conventional and it includes a cylindrical casing 36 having a central opening 37 therein through which pass the cups 21 as they are vended therefrom. The cups employed in this type of cup-drop mechanism are provided on their upper perimeter with an external flange 38. Normally the lowermost cup in a stack of cups positioned in alignment with the circular opening 37 of the cup-drop, rests upon the helical flanges 39 of a plurality of toothed wheels 41 mounted for free rotation in the cup-drop housing 36 as by means of vertical pintles 42. The toothed wheels 41 are in constant mesh with teeth 43 of a ring gear 44 mounted for reciprocal rotation within the housing 36.

This ring gear has an ear 45 extending radially therefrom through a slot 46 in said housing 36, which ear is connected, as by a pin or the like 47, to a novel mechanism which is operable to effect dispensing of the cups from the cup-drop 28, and also for actuating means for indexing the turret 26. This operating mechanism is described hereinafter.

Before entering into a detailed discussion of the construction and operation of the indexing turret 26, it should be observed that said turret includes a plurality of upright tubular columns 27, each to contain a stack of cups 21. One of the columns 27 is aligned, during normal operation, with the circular opening 37 in the cupdrop 28. The operation is such, however, that when the aligned stack of cups reachesa predetermined low, that is,

when there is but a minimum number of cups remaining in alignment with the cup-drop 28, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3, the indexing mechanism is brought into operation to rotate the turret 26 in a clockwise direction a distance suflicient to position the next succeeding column 27, containing cups, into vertical alignment with the cupdrop 28. Cups are continued to be fed from said newly aligned column 27 until such time as the level of the cups in the stack therein reaches the predetermined low, whereupon the indexing mechanism again functions to advance the next succeeding column 27 into position over the cup-drop 28. It should be quite apparent that this assembly and means of operation is such that a large quan tity of cups may be stored within a vending machine and successively vended from successive columns until such time as all of the cups therein are dispensed.

The turret 26, which includes the upright columns 27, is mounted directly above the cup-drop 28. Upon referring specifically to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the turret assembly includes a rigid base plate 48 mounted firmly in any suitable manner on the top surface of the cupdrop 28. Said base plate has a circular cut-out 49 (Fig. 5) opening onto one edge thereof which is in axial alignment with the cup-drop opening 37. A plurality of posts 51 constitute additional mounting means for the base plate 48 and these posts also serve to connect said base plate to and maintain it spaced rigidly above the floor plate 31 of the assembly. Extending upwardly from the base plate 48 are a plurality of spacer posts 52 upon the upper ends of which is firmly secured a cup-support plate 53 which is substantially circular in configuration and is suitably cut away in the area which overlies the cut-out 49. This plate 53 preferably is dished circumferentially to insure rigidity thereto and it carries, axially thereon, a bearing post 54 which extends upwardly therefrom a considerable distance. This post is rigid with respect to the plate 53 and constitutes the mounting means for the rotatable portion of the turret generally referred to as 26.

Each of the turret columns 27 is fabricated from sheet metal stock suitably folded to provide six-sided columns within which stacks of cups may be placed for free sliding downwardly with the minimum amount of friction. This structure is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 6 where it will be observed that the columns 27 are arranged in a circular configuration and are integrally joined one to the other and to a centering plate 55. The plate 55 is adjacent the upper end of the columns and a second, like centering plate 56 (Fig. 3) is provided adjacent the lower ends thereof. These plates have axially aligned apertures to fit snugly over the bearing post 54, a collar 57 being firmly secured on said post adjacent its lower end to limit downward movement of the rack assembly. The rack assembly is secured firmly for free rotation on the bearing post 54 by means of a washer 58 which rests upon the upper end of said post 54 and overlies the inner peripheral margin of the plate 55. A readily engageable screw 59 is extended through the washer 58 and threaded into the internally tapped end of the post.

Arranged at the lower extremities of the columns 27 is a circular band 61 which extends a considerable distance below the bottom ends of said columns and is provided adjacent its lower edge with a plurality of uniformly spaced outwardly projecting partially severed 'detcnts 62. Thestriking out of said detents leaves cutouts or recesses 63 in the area of the band 61 from which said detents are struck. The column assembly, that is the columns 27 and the surrounding band 61 are firmly joined together, as by welding or riveting, so as to rotate as a unit about the bearing post 54. For purposes of illustration, the Fig. 3 and 5 disclosure shows the column 27 in vertical alignment with the cup-drop 28 empty, whereas in the Fig. 4 and 6 disclosure, the turret is positioned with a full column in alignment with the cup-drop 28.

Obviously, cups 21 stored within the columns 27 are maintained thereby by the support plate 53 until such time as anindividual column moves into alignment with the cup-drop 28, whereupon the said stack of cups will drop downwardly until the lowermost cup rests with its head 38 seated upon the convolutions 39 of the toothed wheels 41. When a coin or coins is deposited in the coincontrolled mechanism associated with the vending machine, the mixing and vending of beverage ingredients is initiated and, at the same time, the cup-drop 28 is actuated in a manner to be now described so as to release the lowermost cup in the stack supported thereby, which cup drops onto the guide chute 29 and is positioned beneath the discharge trough 22 prior to vending of the mixed beverage.

The means for actuating the cup-drop 28 and for indexing the racks 27 is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. As there shown, the base plate 48 has pivotally mounted at its axial center, as by means of a rivet 64, a feeler member or lever generally indicated at 65. This lever includes an arm 66 having an upstanding roller 67 mounted at its free end. The lever 65 also includes an arm 68 positioned substantially 90 degrees with respect to the arm 66. The arm 68 is offset upwardly and its free extremity 69 is preferably curved on an arc having its center on the pivot 64. The free end of said curved extremity has a down-turned lip 70 which normally bears against the cups in the stack in register with the cup-drop. It is held insuch position by a spring 71 anchored at one end to a pin 72 mounted on the base plate 48 and at its other end to a pin 73 carried by the lever arm 65. v

A pawl or link 74 is mounted planularly on the base plate 48 for mechanical association with the lever 65..

As is illustrated in Fig. 4, the link 74 includes an arm 75 provided with an elongated slot 76 through which the roller 67 extends. The slotted arm terminates in an elongated main body part 77 which has secured therein one end of a drive member or pin 78 that extends downwardly and operates in a slot 79 in the base plate 48. The portion of the pin extending beneath the base plate 48 carries thereon one end of a link 81, the other end of which is connected, as at 47, to the radial ear 45 of the cup-drop gear ring 44. It should be apparent from the description that the links 74 and 81 are adapted for sliding movement a distance corresponding substantially to the length of the slot 79. Such movement obviously causes the cupdrop ring 44 to move between the two extreme positions illustrated in full and broken lines in Fig. 7. V

The means for imparting sliding movement to the two links 74 and 81 will be described hereinafter, but it should be understood at thisltime that, because of the formation of the helixes on the cup-drop toothed wheels 41, when the cup-drop ring 44 is moved from the full line start position shown in Fig. 7, into the position indicated by the broken lines in said figure, the lowermost cup, having its bead resting upon the convolutions 39 of said helixes, is discharged (because of counter-clockwise rotation of said helixes) and the next succeeding cup is engaged by the leading edge'of each of said convolutions so as to support the stack until the helixes return to their initial positions at the end of the operating cycle. The movement of the gear ring 41 from the start position into-the broken line position illustrated is very rapid, whereas the return movementof the gear ring back to the start or full line position is very slow. This is described in greater detail hereinafter.

Sliding movement of the links 74 and 81 is accomplished by the provision of a linkage connected to an electric motor 83 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is firmly mounted upon a vertically disposed bracket 84 projecting forwardly from a mounting plate 85 mounted on and extending upwardly from the slidable floor plate 31. The motor 83 includes a shaft 86,'which extends through the bracket 84 and carries firmly, adjacent the other side of the bracket, a cam 87. Referring now to Fig. 3, the cam 87 is shown in the position assumed immediately following the start of a cycle of operation. In other words, the

motor 83 is operating to actuate the beverage mixing and vending mechanism (to be described hereinafter) and to rotate the cam 87 in a clockwise direction and the lower cup in the cup-drop has already been discharged. When the motor is at rest, between operating cycles, a

roller 88 on the upper end of an arm 89 rests againstthe high land of the cam 87 very close to the drop-01f so that almost immediately following the beginning of an operating cycle, the roller 88 will drop off of the high land and assume the position illustrated, and as the cam continues its cycle of rotation, said roller is progressively moved outwardly radially until the cycle is completed and it again rests on the high land adjacent to the drop-off.

The arm 89 is offset at 91 to extend freely through a lateral cut-out 92 in the bracket 84. The lower end of said arm 89 is firmly secured to a pivot 93 which mounts it upon the bracket 84. The pivot 93 extends rearwardly of the bracket 84, as viewed in Fig. 3, and it has secured firmly thereto the upper end of a second arm 94, the lower end of which carries a stem 95 having a ball head to be received in a socket element 96 carried on the rear wardly extending end of a tie-rod 97. The forward end of the tie-rod 97 has a similar socket element 98, which receives the ball head of a stem 99 (Fig. 3) carried on and depending from the pivot pin 78. It is thus apparent that the slide links 74 and 81 are positively connected mechanically with the motor 83, through the tie-rod 97 and arms 8994, so that, when said motor is operated through one complete cycle during a mixing and vending operation of the vending machine, said slide links will move in one direction the length of their guide slot 79 and then return to their initial position. The connection is such that movement of the slide links 74 and 81 from start position substantially as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 5, into substantially the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 5, is accomplished very quickly and that the return movement occurs during the entire period of rotation of the cam 87 remaining after the drop-0E. Movement of the links in one direction is aided by a tension spring 101 which may be secured at one end to the stem 95 and at its other end to an anchor lug 202 mounted on the floor plate 31.

Reciprocal movement of the slide link 74 may or may not cause perceivable reciprocal rotation of the interconnected lever 65 depending upon the presence or absence of cups in an aligned column. At the start of an operating cycle, the linkage and lever are in substantially the full line positions illustrated, notwithstanding the fact that said figure disclosure is, however, specifically illustrative of the lever positions attained when the supplyof cups in a column is depleted and indexing has occurred. The indexing operation will be explained hereinafter, and the operating description immediately following pertains to the actual vending of a cup during an operating cycle.

As stated hereinbefore, when the number of cups in the column aligned with the cup-drop are of sufficient height to align substantially with the downturned flange 70 on the end of the lever arm 69, the lever 65 is held with itsroller 67 substantially at the rearmost end of its operating or guide slot 76. This specific lever position is substantially as shown in Fig. 4. As soon as the motordriven cam 87 begins its operating cycle, the linkage is advanced almost instantaneously forwardly along its guide slot 79 in the base plate 48 into the position illustrated in Fig. 4. This movement of the linkage is ineffective for any purposeother than to operate the cup-drop 28 and vend a cup. During the remaining operating cycle the link 74 of the linkage structure travels rearwardly through a slight are swinging, downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 4, so as to hold a roller or pin 182 carried thereby inwardly of the inside face of the circular band 61. As a result, the roller or pin 102 does not become engaged in any of the openings 63 provided by detents 62 and no indexing or clockwise rotation of the turret is effected. There is, however, a slight rocking in a clockwise direction of the lever 65, a distance suflicient to carry the downturned flange 70 out of compression contact with the stack of cups to thereby permit said stack to drop downwardly so as to thereby replace the lowermost cup which was vended at the beginning of this operation.

Repeated operation of the beverage mixing and vending machine causes repeated actuation of the linkage and lever structure in the manner just described until such time as the stack of cups within the rack aligned with the cup-drop opening 37 reaches a low level below the level of the flange 70. When this occurs, the lever 65 moves into substantially the broken-line position shown in Fig. 5. As there illustrated, the spring 71 has acted to pull the lever in a counter-clockwise direction to position the flanged arm 69 of the lever 65 well within the perimeter of the cup-drop opening 37. At the same time, the roller 67 on the lever arm 66 is carried along its operating slot 76 away from the end thereof, thus rocking the link 74 in a counter-clockwise direction (broken lines in Fig. so as to position the pin or roller 102 in engagement with one of the openings 63 provided by the detents 62 in the turret band 61.

Before continuing with the description of the operation of the cupfeeding and turret mechanism, it should be emphasized that when the stack of cups falls below the level of the flange 70, as discussed hereinabove, several cups still remain within the cup-drop 28 so that cups are available during the next few vending operations without a replenishing of the supply of cups in alignment therewith.

Assuming the cup-vending mechanism to be in the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 5, which position calls for the replenishing of the supply of cups for feeding through the cup-drop, the mechanism is actuated as previously described but in this instance, owing to the need for an additional supply of cups, the slow return movement of the link 74, from the broken-line position illustrated in Fig. 5 into the full line position shown in said figure, causes the turret 26 to be rotated about its bearing post 54. The amount of rotation imparted to the turret is equal to the spacing between the struck-out detents 62 and because there are twice as many detents as there are stacks of cups, it is necessary for the machine to be operated two successive times before the next succeeding column of cups is positioned in alignment with the cup-drop 28. Stated differently, the first indexing operation will advance the turret A of a revolution, while the slide member 74 moves from its broken line position into the full line position shown in Fig. 5. Upon the second vending operation, While indexing, the cycle is repeated to again advance the turret another A of a revolution. This second advance carries the next succeeding rack into alignment with the cup-drop and the cups therein, having passed off of the end of the support plate 53, drop downwardly and nest with any cups remaining in the cup-drop to thereby provide a continuous stack of cups. When the machine is again operated, the linkage and lever assembly operate in the manner described in connection with the Fig. 4 disclosure. That is to say that, at the completion of the vending cycle, during the second indexing step, the downturn flange 70 on the lever arm 69 will again abut the stack of cups and the lever 65 will remain substantially in the position shown in Fig. 4 until such time as that stack of cups is depleted, whereupon the indexing operation again takes place. Counterclockwise rotation of the turret 26 is prevented at all times by a spring-held pawl 103 which is arranged to coact with the indexing openings 63. When all or some of the racks 27 have been emptied, the door 16 of the vending machine cabinet 11 may be opened and the floor plate 31 drawn outwardly as to expose the open top of the columns so that a fresh supply of cups may be placed therein.

It has previously been stated that when a cup is released from the cup-drop, it drops onto a chute 29 which delivers it into position 'for receiving the vended beverage. As is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the chute 29 preferably is readily removable from the vending compartment 17. 'The chute preferably is substantially oval in section and it has, firmly secured thereon, an external flange 104 which is secured by screws 105 to one of the side walls 106 of the vending compartment. The vending compartment, in addition to including the container for the mixing bowl and the discharge trough 22, includes a removable back wall 107, which wall is extended forwardly on its sides and has its free forward edges turned outwardly to define mounting flanges 108 that normally abut inwardly turned flanges 109 on the forward edges of the side walls 106.

The back wall 107 has secured on its inside face a bracket 111, which bracket is slotted, as indicated at 112, to receive therethrough mounting screws 113 provided for lateral adjustment of said bracket. The bracket has a forwardly extending portion 114 suitably curved, as at 115, to embrace a part of the perimeter of the cup. This bracket constitutes means for stopping and holding the cup in position, upright, beneath the trough 22 upon its discharge from the chute 29. The bracket is adjustable so as to adapt it to accommodate cups of difierent diameters.

The dry ingredient containers 23 are, as has been noted hereinabove, each provided with means to discharge measured quantities of their contents during an operating cycle of the machine. Accordingly, each container has a discharge opening 116 with which is associated an augur (not shown) carried on a shaft 117 provided with a clutch element 118 for detachable engagement with a clutch element 119 on a shaft of an electric motor 121. This clutch connection between the motors and the respective dry ingredient containers 23 facilitates ready removal of the containers for replacement, cleansing or for any other purpose and, inasmuch as the containers, the feed means, and the motors constitute no part of this invention, no further description of said structures is deemed necessary.

The cup drop and turret indexing operating motor 83 is utilized also to operatezaplurality of cams, the actuation of which selectively closes various electrical circuits in the mixing and vending apparatus. These circuits and the cams per se, constitute no part of the present invention, they being fully disclosed, described and claimed in the aforesaid Callahan et al. application Serial No. 420,622, filed April 2, 1954. Upon referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the motor shaft 83 extends beyond the drop-01f cam '87 and is connected, by means of a flexible coupling 122 to a shaft extension 123 that is journalled in the end walls of a cam control housing 124. The housing '124 preferably is carried on the vertical mounting plate 85 and it encloses a series of cam elements 125 spaced longitudinally on the shaft extension 123, each operatively associated with a switch so as to move the related switches into circuit open or closedpositionsduring a rotatingcycle of the motor 83 to control actuation of the various dry ingredient vending motors '121, and open and close the water supply line 25. This interconnection of the control means insures precise timing of the various operations and also eliminates the need for a separate motor to actuate the circuit control cams and the cup-drop. indexing mechanisms.

In conclusion it might be observed that the cup-drop and turret mechanism can be manually actuated, should such actuation be desired by the expedient of disconmeeting it from the motor 83 and extending a manually actuable lever to'the outside of the machine cabinet, which lever will be connected to thesup-drop ring gear car 45 or 'to the pivot pin'78 of the linkage 'assembly 7481. This ready adaptability to manual operation renders the cup-drop indexing assembly suitable for use apart from an automatically actuated machine as disclosed herein. Further, the cup-drop turret assembly may be mounted directly upon the top face of the housing partition 12, thus eliminating the slidable floor plate 31 and its rollers and guides therefor. Such structure is particularly feasible in a machine that has no door in its front wall but is provided merely with a movable top, which when in open position will afford access to the open tops of the columns 27 for replenishing the supply of cups therein.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages, should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cup dispensing mechanism comprising a cupdrop device adapted to receive a stack of cups and actuable to successively dispense cups from said stack, a turret rotatably mounted above said cup-drop device, said turret comprising a plurality of upright compartments each adapted to contain a stack of cups, said turret being rotatable to successive indexed positions so as to align successively each stack of cups with respect to said cup-drop device, means for depositing each aligned stack of cups into said cup-drop device, a feeler member, means mounting said feeler member for alternate movement either to an innermost position located within the space normally occupied by said deposited stack of cups or to an intermediate position wherein the feeler member is in contact with said deposited stack of cups or to an outermost position spaced outwardly from said deposited stack of cups and the space normally occupied thereby, spring means continually urging said feeler member inwardly toward said innermost position for maintaining said feeler member normally in said innermost position when there are less than a predetermined number of cups left in said deposited stack and for maintaining said feeler member normally in said intermediate position in contact with the cups when there are at least said predetermined number of cups left in said deposited stack, a ratchet member secured to said turret, a pawl member, means mounting said pawl member for alternate alignment thereof either to a first orientation for drivingly engaging said ratchet member or to a second orientation in which said pawl member will be drivingly disengaged with respect to said ratchet member, drive means actuable to move said pawl member and to actuate said cup-drop device, and means connecting said pawl member and said feeler member for aligning said pawl member in said first orientation in response to location of said feeler member in said innermost position and for aligning said pawl member in said second orientation in response to location of said feeler member in said intermediate position, said connecting means including means for moving said feeler member momentarily against the action of said spring means to said outermost position in response to movement of said pawl member by said drive means.

2. A cup-dispensing mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said means connecting said pawl member and said feeler member comprises a pair of elements each fixed to a respective one of said members, one of said elements having an elongated slot, the other of said elements having means slidably and pivotally engaging said slot.

3. A cup-dispensing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a drive member, means mounting said drive member for reciprocal movement, and

means for reciprocating said drive member, said means mounting said pawl member comprising means pivotally connecting said pawl member to said drive member.

4. A cup-dispensing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a drive member, means mounting said drive member for reciprocal movement, and means for reciprocating said drive member, said means mounting said pawl member comprising means pivotally connecting said pawl member to said drive member, said means connecting said pawl member and said feeler member comprising a pair of elements each fixed to a respective one of said members, one of said elements having an elongated slot, the other of said elements having means slidably and pivotally engaging said slot.

5. A cup-dispensing device as recited in claim 1 wherein saidratchet member comprises an internal cylindrical cam surface having a series of recesses spaced equidistantly therearound, said pawl member having means responsive to movement of said pawl member to engage said internal cam surface in an area thereof between a pair of said recesses when said pawl member is aligned in said second orientation and to drivingly engage one of said recesses when said pawl member is in said first orientation.

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